Craig Laundy (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is again to the Prime Minister. Could the Prime Minister update the House on what new steps the government is taking in response to the security situation unfolding in Ukraine?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do thank the member for Reid for his question. Australia and Ukraine are geographically distant, but we have grown close in responding to the MH17 atrocity in which 38 Australians were murdered by Russian backed rebels. Australia is truly grateful for Ukraine's help in recovering the victims and bringing home our dead. We are also grateful for Ukraine's strong support for the criminal investigation into this particular atrocity and their determination, which we share, to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The government—and I believe the Australian people—would like to repay Ukraine for its support and friendship, especially as Ukraine continues to be subject to active destabilisation and, indeed, outright invasion from Russia—a country it has never, ever sought to harm. So, today I announce that Australia will open an embassy in Kiev. This interim embassy will, amongst other things, support the nine Australian Federal Police investigators who remain in Ukraine. As well, along with our European partners and allies, we are considering short-term humanitarian assistance and non-lethal military assistance to Ukraine, and in the medium term we are considering civil and military capacity-building assistance to that country.

Australia's reach is not unlimited, but we will do what we can to help our friends and to uphold the rule of law around the world. I am pleased that our flag will shortly fly alongside Ukraine's as a sign of our support in these troubled times.